Town of Ulster man arrested for murder in death of Anita Jacobs-Royer of Kingston (update)

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- A 49-year-old town of Ulster man has been charged with murder in the death of Anita Jacobs-Royer of Kingston.

Audelis Cruz, of the Budget 19 Motel, Room 45, at 187 state Route 28, has been charged with felony second-degree murder, Kingston police said Monday.

Police said Cruz had been determined through investigation to be a person of interest in the homicide and was tracked to New York City where he had fled. Officers spent four days conducting surveillance in New York City seeking Cruz for questioning, police said.

At about 2 p.m. Sunday, Cruz was found in a subway platform in Manhattan and arrested on an outstanding parole violation, police said. Police said detectives from Kingston interviewed Cruz where he gave a statement and admitted to the strangulation of Jacobs-Royer.

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Jacobs-Royer, 45, was found dead in her 56 Third Ave. home at 5 p.m. Feb. 3 by a Kingston police officer. Police said a family member had called them asking for a welfare check on her whereabouts.

At the time of her death, Jacobs-Royer lived alone on Third Avenue and was in the process of getting a divorce, authorities had said early last week.

An autopsy was performed Feb. 4, revealing Jacobs-Royer died of strangulation, but police did not release that information until Monday.

At the time Jacobs-Royer was discovered dead, it was also learned her 1998 Isuzu Trooper was missing. Police said the vehicle was found the following day parked at 205 state Route 28 in the town of Ulster.

After seeing a post on Facebook, someone notified the police of its whereabouts at 205 state Route 28 in the town of Ulster, authorities said.

Police said last week she had been dead a day or possibly more.

Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright would not say Monday if Cruz is believed to have strangled her with his hands or with an object.

He did, however, say that Jacobs-Royer knew Cruz, but he would not comment on a motive for the crime. He said Jacobs-Royer was not sexually assaulted by him.

Carnright would not comment on whether Cruz had taken the vehicle and left it at that location.

He said that Cruz was released from state prison in July of 2012 for first-degree robbery and that he "has other prior criminal history."

Kingston police Detective Lt. Thierry Croizer praised his men at the Kingston Police Department and said they had been working around the clock on the case.

"It was a real team effort," he said.

Croizer said the investigation, however, is still ongoing.

"We're still trying to close off some loose ends and make sure we have all our T's crossed and our I's dotted," he said.

On the Facebook tribute page devoted to Jacobs-Royer, friends and family members expressed their gratitude to law enforcement and relief that there was now closure.

"I would like to thank all the officers who have worked (and continue to work) so tirelessly on Anita's case," said her sister, Laura Toranno-Jacobs.

Cruz will be arraigned in Kingston City Court on Wednesday.

He is being held at the Ulster County Jail on the parole violation and without bail on the murder charge.

Calling hours for Jacobs-Royer will be held Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Keyser Funeral and Cremation Services at 326 Albany Ave., Kingston. A service is scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m.